Solid waste management has been primarily based on collection of solid waste and placing most if not all of it in a landfill. Present invention eliminates a need for large landfills by separating and preparing solid waste during transportation and processing said solid waste for reuse prior to landfill application. Using present invention current and future landfill sites can be used for solid waste treatment and processing resulting in a number of benefits including elimination of open working front of a landfill operation and associated odor and leachate problems. Voluminous prior art reviewed showed improving large landfills and solid waste management by means of landfill reclamation, landfill mining, landfill bioreactors and recovery. However, prior art reviewed did not demonstrate a novel approach that will integrate collection and processing of solid waste which will result in elimination of large landfills. Some examples of voluminous prior art on processing and disposal of solid waste management are summarized below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,329,105 discloses an apparatus for solid waste disposal and treatment in tower like structures having a number of chambers which air conduits extent vertically through said chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,832,179 discloses treatment of organic refuse into useful substances by injecting air into moistened refuse.
U.S. Pat No. 2,798,800 discloses a process which includes windrow referred as pile of unsegregated municipal refuse. The windrow is tumbled to provide necessary oxygen within said windrow to support aerobic process as needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,821 discloses a method and apparatus for decomposing waste material by aerobic process which is promoted and optimized by conditions designed for aerobic bacterial activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,377 discloses a method for treating organic and inorganic waste material. Said material is pulverized, mixed, and moistened to start fermentation prior to a digester chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,813 discloses a system and process for treatment of biodegradable waste which includes a land treatment area underlain by an impermeable layer and surrounded by dikes. A leachate collection system permits effluent collection and routes said effluent to a wastewater treatment system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,016 discloses underground leachate barrier and method which includes digging a trench adjacent a contaminated area, placing a liquid impervious membrane on one side of said trench, and positioning drain pipe and risers surrounded by filter gravel within said trench.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,882 discloses bioconversion reactor and system which is claimed to be useful for the biological transformation of waste material into ecologically desirable materials. Said system is referred and defined as a group of zones including bioreactor zone, solids ecoreactor zone, georeactor zone, all of which said zones are interconnected. Said system includes wetlands, marshes, wastes land filled under soil like material with marsh plants.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,609 discloses cellular landfill process and apparatus wherein solid waste are disposed of in a landfill repository that maintains them in a dry state indefinitely using water and gas tight cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,979 discloses a high efficiency waste placement system for municipal landfills which includes shredding the solid waste, adjusting the moisture of the waste, installing an aeration system in a configured pile of said solid waste, covering the pile for aerobic decomposition, compacting the waste pile to be covered with a synthetic cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,422 discloses method for the formation and operation of in situ process reactor using a mobile trenching machine which converts a contaminated site to a reactor by simultaneously placing contaminant impermeable walls while processing excavated materials such as adding reactor reagents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,452 discloses a method and apparatus for reclaiming waste materials. Waste materials are placed over impermeable liner in a domed structure. The decomposition of the waste material is controlled and monitored and after a period of time, the material within one or more cells is recovered and recycled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,454 discloses a method for landfill reclamation which primarily includes excavation of waste materials from a landfill, separation of excavated waste materials, recovery of recyclable from excavated waste materials, and placing unrecoverable excavated waste materials back into the landfill.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,862 discloses a method of improved landfill mining which comprises converting the landfill to aerobic production by injection of air, moisture, and sludge for increased rate of decomposition, and excavating the landfill to remove waste materials, separating the removed waste material, and returning the residual to the landfill.
Prior art reviewed as summarized above do not demonstrate a new comprehensive novel method and apparatus which will eliminate a concept of large landfills. Present invention integrates collection and transportation of solid waste with treatment, processing, recovery, and reuse of solid waste. As a result, solid waste is converted into two primary groups of wet organic waste and dry waste most of which can be processed for reuse prior to landfill application. Therefore, using present invention permanently placed large landfills which become a continuous environmental, economical, and public health threat to the surrounding communities are eliminated by means of integrating collection and processing of solid waste. Although it is preferred to eliminate large landfill sites, present invention may be used in association with or as a part of a landfill site depending on the waste stream and market conditions. One of the primary benefits of using present invention is elimination of open working front of landfill operations and all associated odor and leachate problems related to wet organic waste portion of solid waste.